The Use of CFD Simulations in Learning Fluid Mechanics at the Undergraduate Level

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Marjorie Thompson
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1 Presented at the COMSOL Conference 2009 Boston The Use of CFD Simulations in Learning Fluid Mechanics at the Undergraduate Level Marc K. Smith Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA COMSOL Conference, Boston, Oct 8 10, 2009

2 Fluid Mechanics Fluid flows can be beautiful, amazing, and destructive. Source: efluids.com

3 A Traditional CFD Course Basic methods: Finite difference, volume, or element. Volume of fluid, level-set, phase field, etc. Gridding or meshing. Pressure-velocity coupling. Upwind differencing, artificial diffusion. Concentrate on numerical technique. Write your own code.

4 CFD for Fluid Exploration Design a senior elective course that explores fluid flows using CFD as a tool. Use COMSOL Multiphysics as a PDE solver, but not a black box. Learn to properly pose the mathematical model. Learn to find and assess an accurate and reasonable solution. Explore the difference between modeling and reality. Develop a feel or intuition for the physics.

5 Course Content Three credit-hour semester course. Two lectures (as needed) & one lab per wk. FEM lectures (two weeks). One programming assignment on FEM. COMSOL tutorial (one week). Seven labs on different fluid flows (1 or 2 weeks each). One final project (one month).

aluminum film on a silicon substrate. Thank you, COMSOL!

6 Laboratory Manuals Introduction and use of COMSOL software. Lab 0: Steady electric current and heat generation in an aluminum film on a silicon substrate. Thank you, COMSOL! All labs written in a tutorial form with decreasing level of detail from Labs 1 to 7.

7 Developing Flow in a Channel Commonly studied in most introductory fluid mechanics courses. Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics, Munson, Young, Okiishi, and Huebsch, 6 th ed.

8 Developing Flow in a Channel 2 Examine developing and fully developed velocity profiles. Measure entrance length: L E ρuh 0 = f = 0.06 Re h µ Find inviscid core flow with Bernoulli s eq. Compare to theory and experiment. Surface plot of velocity magnitude at channel entrance.

9 Developing Flow in a Channel 3 Student results: U avg = 0.4 m/s, h = 4 cm Pressure Gradient Bernoulli s Equation -p x B 2 m 0.7 m x x B = p + 1 ρ 2 V 2

10 Developing Boundary Layer Uniform flow past a sharp-edged flat plate. U = 0.4 m/s Varying inlet BL thickness. downstream m/s Pressure near leading edge Horizontal velocity

11 Developing Boundary Layer 2 Uniform flow past a round-edged flat plate. Free stream velocity downstream Pressure near leading edge Horizontal velocity

12 Microfluidics Current technology of great interest. A microfluidic fluorescence-based biosensor from IBI, Inc.

13 Tea Cup Experiment Simple classroom demonstration. Why does this happen? Stirred by Hilda Elizabeth Tippette Nix

14 Microfluidics Low Re Flow of water in a 180 bend. Cross-section: 300 µm x 150 µm. Uniform inlet: m/s, Re = Velocity field

15 Microfluidics Secondary Flow Flow of water in a 180 bend. Cross-section: 300 µm x 150 µm. Uniform inlet: 0.7 m/s, Re = 94. Particle traces in the plane Velocity field

16 Flow Past a Cylinder Re = 1.37 Bound vortices Re = 13.7

17 Flow Past a Cylinder 2 Steady Re = 137 Unsteady, Re = 137

18 Potential Flow Potential flow in a Venturi. Contours: potential Streamlines: velocity Compare flow rate to 1-D theory. Measure pressure at throat and upstream using point integration coupling variables.

19 Potential Flow 2 Compare the flow rate Q to inviscid 1-D flow theory. Q 2 p / ρ = 2 2 Du Dt 1/2 DD The relative error in Q is 1.4% too high. u t Why? Answer: It s a 1-D modeling error!

20 Potential Flow 3 Why? The flow is not one-dimensional. y Horizontal velocity at throat

21 Thermal Convection Side heating: Boussinesq approximation and temperature-dependent properties. Color: temperature, Arrows: velocity

22 Thermal Convection 2 Effect of Prandtl number Ra = 2000, Pr = 7 Ra = 2000, Pr = 0.1 Velocity magnitude Pressure

23 Thermal Convection 3 Liquid layer heated from below. Ra = 1709 Ra = 2000 Color: temperature, Streamlines: velocity

24 Conclusions Students: Learned to investigate, interpret, and understand fluid flows. They became very competent with COMSOL. Professor: Lots of work, lots of fun. Needs: Better or easier tools. Solution quality: element quality, residuals, global mass, force, and energy balances. Particle-tracing tool. Projected streamlines in a plane for 3-D flows.

1.060 Engineering Mechanics II Spring Problem Set 3

1.060 Engineering Mechanics II Spring 2006 Due on Monday, March 6th Problem Set 3 Important note: Please start a new sheet of paper for each problem in the problem set. Write the names of the group members